Travel Guide: Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Chances are this isn't the first place that springs to mind when planning a trip to Italy, but it is definitely worth considering if you're looking for something a little different than the usual round-up of cities. For all of us who have long-since forgotten middle school geography, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is an autonomous region in north-eastern corner of Italy, and is bordered by Austria and a tiny piece of Switzerland. Trentino-Alto Adgie is the Italian name for the area and Trentino-Südtirol is the German name. The region was a part of Austria-Hungary until annexed by Italy in the early 20th century and culturally has close ties to both Italy and Austria. The population is for the most part entirely bi-lingual (and often tri-lingual or more!) and will greet people in one language (Italian or German) and effortlessly switch to whichever you prefer.

{Get There}
Driving or taking the train are your best bets. Bolzano, where we stayed, does have an airport, but it doesn't have commercial service. Other nearby airports include: Verona, Innsbruck and Milan.

We stayed in Bolzano, one of the larger towns in the area, at the Hotel Grief, a member of the Design Hotels group. We really enjoyed our stay, though if you are looking for a more traditional room, the nearby Hotel Laurin is managed by the same owners. The two hotels share a private park with beautiful gardens, a pool, and outdoor dining. During the summer they have a special aperitivo night for hotel guests which was a unexpected highlight.

{See & Do}
The region is peppered with one town cuter than the next, and if you have a car, you could easily fill your days popping from one to another. As we were car-less we centered our activities in Bolzano. One day we started out early, threw on our workout gear and took the gondola up into the Dolomite mountains for a bit of hiking. We got a trail map from the hotel and found everything to be incredibly well marked.

In Bolzano, the Museion museum as well as the historic town center are well worth exploring.

{Eat & Drink}

Stadt Hotel Citta, on the main square is great for a late lunch, a spritz and some serious people watching.

Fishbänke, don't miss having a spritz or two at this Bolzano institution. A casual, street-side cafe in what was once the town's fish market, this place is a sensory riot and beloved by just about everyone it seems.

Banco 11, is a great little wine bar right in the central market.